diff --git a/snakemake_executor_plugin_slurm_jobstep/__init__.py b/snakemake_executor_plugin_slurm_jobstep/__init__.py
index 80d440c..2fecb8e 100644
--- a/snakemake_executor_plugin_slurm_jobstep/__init__.py
+++ b/snakemake_executor_plugin_slurm_jobstep/__init__.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
     ExecutorJobInterface,
 )
 from snakemake_interface_executor_plugins.settings import ExecMode
-from snakemake_interface_common.exceptions import WorkflowError
 
 
 # Required:
@@ -54,17 +53,8 @@ def __init__(
             pass_envvar_declarations_to_cmd=False,
         )
         # These environment variables are set by SLURM.
-
-        self.mem_per_node = os.getenv("SLURM_MEM_PER_NODE")
-        self.cpus_on_node = os.getenv("SLURM_CPUS_ON_NODE")
+        # only needed for commented out jobstep handling below
         self.jobid = os.getenv("SLURM_JOB_ID")
-        if self.jobid is None:
-            raise WorkflowError(
-                "Environment variable SLURM_JOB_ID is not set, which is unsupported. "
-                "Note that the slurm-jobstep executor plugin can only be used inside "
-                "of SLURM jobs and is meant to be triggered only by the slurm executor "
-                "plugin."
-            )
 
     def run_job(self, job: ExecutorJobInterface):
         # Implement here how to run a job.
diff --git a/tests/tests.py b/tests/tests.py
index 8155b6d..2bee201 100644
--- a/tests/tests.py
+++ b/tests/tests.py
@@ -1,15 +1,8 @@
-import os
 from typing import Optional
 import snakemake.common.tests
 from snakemake_interface_executor_plugins import ExecutorSettingsBase
 
 
-# fake slurm job environment
-os.environ["SLURM_JOB_ID"] = "100"
-os.environ["SLURM_MEM_PER_NODE"] = "100"
-os.environ["SLURM_CPUS_ON_NODE"] = "1"
-
-
 class TestWorkflowsBase(snakemake.common.tests.TestWorkflowsBase):
     __test__ = True